Road-drag.



S. E. HUGHES.

ROAD DRAG.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5,1914.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

SQMUELE- Hugass fHE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PNOTOLITHQ. WASHINGION D. C

UNITED STATES I LAETENT OFFICE- SAMUEL E. HUGHES, OF ALEXANDRIA, INDIANA, ASSIGNOE 0F ONE-HALF T0 SAMUEL G. PHILLIPS, OF ALEXANDRIA, INDIANA.

ROAD-DRAG.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 29, 1914- Application filed January 5, 1914. Serial No. 810,456.

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, SAMUEL E. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road-Drags, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in road drags and the primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is formed in sections hinged one to the other, whereby the one section may be raised while the other is in operation.

A further object of the invention resides in providing an improved drag in which the main portion thereof is formed of a pair of parallel blades which are adapted to be disposed in a plane at an angle to the longitudinal plane of the road in which the same is used.

Still another object of the invention resides in providing a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will be very efficient and useful in operation.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a plan view of a device constructed in accordance with my invention and disclosing in dotted lines the position of the movable parts of the device; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail view of certain of the parts.

In describing my invention, I shall refer to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which 1 and 2 indicate a pair of parallel drag blades which are secured together by means of a plurality of bracing arms 3 and secured to the front face of the forward blade 1, at points adjacent the ends thereof, are

the chains 4, which are connected together.

at a point 5, to which point draft devices may be connected. These chains are of such length and connected together at such points with respect to the blades that when drawn forwardly on the rod, the] blades which are parallel will be disposed in a plane at angle to the longitudinal plane of the road. The same are also disposed so that the ends of the blades 1 and 2 are disposed in the same longitudinal plane. The blades 1 and 2 may be of any desired height and being directed at an angle, as described and shown, to properly remove the uneven portions of the surface of the ground and tend to level the same, directing the soil from the sides of the road toward the deep tracks and gullies formed in the road by the constant driving of heavy vehicles thereover. The braces 3 between the blades 1 and 2 are so disposed as to receive a platform or the like 6 thereon, upon which the driver of the device may stand, so that the weight of the driver will aid in causing theblades to be effectively engaged with the surface of the ground.

Hinged to the inner end of the rear blade 2, at the upper edge thereof, as indicated at 7, is a leveling blade or shoe 8, the outer end of said shoe being curved or bent forwardly, as shown at 9. Secured to the free end of the curved portion 9, is the outer end of a bracing arm or bar 10, the opposite end ofsaid bracing arm or bar being pivot-ally engaged with the inner end of the front drag blade 1. From this construction, itwill be seen that this leveling blade or shoe 8 may be readily raised at any time and supported in its raised position against the end of the platform 6, without afiecting the operation of the drag blades 1 and 2 whatsoever. It must be here stated, however, that this leveling shoe or blade 8 is directed somewhat forwardly at an angle to the drag blade 2, to which the same is hinged, the angle formed between said blades 2 and 3, being an obtuse angle. In this manner, as the device is drawn forwardly, the soil from the outer sides of the road is directed inwardly and the point at which the blades 2 and 8 are hinged is preferably disposed in the plane of one of the drags or gullies formed in the road, it will be seen that the soil formed in the outer portion of the road is directed toward these tracks and the soil in the center of the road will also be di rected toward these tracks. The weight of the driver, however, will be on the drag blades, so that most of the soil will be removed from the outer side portions of the 7 road, the blade or shoe 2 forming, as indicated above, a leveling blade. It must be here stated that the bracing arm or bar 10 has its one end adjustably connected to the forward drag blade by means of a plurality of alined openings 11 and, in view of the hinged connection between the blade 8 and the blade 2, it will be seen that said blade 8 may be disposed to various angles with respect to the blade 2.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved device, the operation thereof and the manner of apply- 1 ing the same to use will be readily understood and it willbe seen that I have provided a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will be very efficient and useful in operation.

While I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions, set forth, it is obvious that various Copies of thispatentmay be obtained for to one end of the rear drag blade and arranged at angle with respect to the latter, and bracing rod connected to the forward end of the leveling blade and the other end adjustably connected to the forward drag blade whereby to regulate the angle of the leveling blade.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL E. HUGHES.

lVitnesses JAMES A. MAY, EDGAR MoKowN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). C. 

